• • Facebook
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Stumble Upon
  • Furl

Robin Heymann

It’s not just Rugby Sevens that is proving a popular alternative to the traditions of the 15 a-side-game at the moment. Beach Rugby is growing year on year and has the tournaments to prove it.

Although Sevens and Tag rugby is in full flow throughout Europe and North America at the moment, Beach Rugby is just another growing activity to add to the burgeoning interest in ‘Leisure Rugby’, with some big events going on this weekend.

As well as the obvious variety and change of scenery to your standard game of rugby, beach rugby brings some different components to our game. With the strength and stamina sapping nature of sand providing a great source of fitness combined with the rapid changes from attacking to defending, the game is developing and improving a wide range of skills – a bit like Sevens!

The other positive aspect of Beach Rugby are the different levels and standards that seem to be available internationally for this growing concept.

Firstly you have your events like the O2 Scrum on the Beach series in the UK. It’s back once again for a second year and is a campaign that is in association with the RFU.

With 2009 seeing eight events scattered around various beaches in England it’s a concept that proves popular with families, youngsters of both sexes, and groups of friends looking for a fun day out dovetailed with a spot of rugby. Incorporating a ‘tag’ format helps keeps the event pleasantly social but obviously allowing for some flair moments with the arenas marked out through four bright blue inflatable pitches.

During a match all players wear a tag belt, which has two ribbons (tags) attached to it with Velcro. To tackle, a player simply needs to grab one of these ‘tags’ from the player in possession. A squad is made up of ten people with no fewer than five players on the pitch at all times. It all seems simple enough, and that fundamentally is its main beauty.

Perhaps the nicest touches from the roadshow is the chance for rugby fans to rub shoulders with England Internationals such as Paul Sackey, James Haskell, Danny Cipriani, and James Simpson-Daniel who are regulars at these affairs.

With the stars often helping out teams who are short by participating themselves it provides some unique experiences for the general public, who get to play with their heroes! With other areas to test your skills, relax, and socialise, it’s a cracking initiative indeed. After two days already in Yarmouth and Clacton thus far, the event moves to Southport this weekend.

If you can get to one, try to get down to Newquay at the end of August where the roadshow will once again drag itself to the magical ‘Lusty Glaze’ for the series finale.

Yet what about those of you who want to take things up a peg in the sand based rugby stakes? A little bit more competition, some physicality, and perhaps some actual sun (well let’s be frank that isn’t a guarantee in good ole Blighty). In that case this weekend’s International Beach Rugby at Lignano in Italy might be more to your liking, often describing itself as the home of Beach Rugby.

This is a truly diverse and international tournament that sees sides packed full of quality from the Pacific Islands, Ireland, Wales, Slovenia, Austria, France, Argentina and of the home town boys Maccarese who have tasted success many a time on the shores of Lignano.

This is anything but a new fad with the original event starting back in 1993 and has proved the catalyst for other tournaments to start and eventually in 1998 saw an actual Beach Rugby Championship in Italy created, with the events now receiving air time on TV. With 12 teams lined up for Lignano the selection of the teams are based on their engagement with the audience, either on their level of playing, or level of ‘show appeal.’ The major difference is that tackling is permitted, line-outs and scrums are eliminated and play is reassumed by a free kick. The games always proves to be entertaining and the tournament’s videos are littered with champagne and 360 degree twists and twirls of players celebrating tries.

But it’s not just Italy these days who love hosting beach rugby, France are also fans and Eurosport recently televised a number of tournaments supported by Eden Park, the upmarket rugby clothing brand.

The likes of Jonah Lomu, Andrew Merthens, Christophe Dominici, and Raphael Ibanez all strutted their stuff in Paris , with interestingly this time the tournament being held indoors - another indicator of the diversity this form of the game can bring to the table.

The USA don’t usually like to miss the boat for this type of gig and indeed Fort Myers Beach in Flordia plays host to the 7th annual Barefoot Beach 7s this weekend. With five divisions in the tournament, High School, College, Men’s, Women’s and Senior men’s, and 45 teams in total participating it is sure to be another superb event.

It will be interesting to see how this form of the game can continue to grow, with perhaps the obvious thing to note being the marketability it brings. Globally we now see a plethora of Beach Tournaments for all different types of levels and standards, which can only be good news for the game. With Tag, 10s, and Beach chasing on the coat tails of 7s it’s an interesting time indeed. Watch this UR7s space!